Doll



Feb. 17, 1925.

H. D. BOWIE DOLL Filed Nov. 19

1921 2 Sheets-Sheet a w///////// &

R m H E0 B 0 w 0 m M WI TA/ESS mm? A TI'ORHEYS Feb. 1925. 1,526,456

H. D. BOWIE DOLL Filed Nov. 19, 1921 2 Sheets$heet 2 2/ g f Meow $535355 4 TTORNEYS Patented Feb. 17, 1925. A I I iclbliTED STATlEilb PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD D. BOWIE, OF MAHWAH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB. TO E. I. HORSMAN & AETNA DOLL (30., OF NEW YORK. N. '35., it. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DOLL.

Application filed November 19, 1921. Serial No. 516,323.

To all whom it may concern. means whereby a walking motion is applied Be it known that I, HAROLD D. BOWIE, thereto, and which constitutes an essential a citizen of the United States, and resident element of the present construction, comotf Mahwah, county of Bergen, State of New prises a supporting member 14 of a size and Jersey, have invented certain new and useful shape to approximately fit within the body 60 Improvements in Dolls,ot which the follownear its lower end. Side members ing is a specification. depend from the member 14 at diametrically My invention relates to toy figures and opposite points and carry a rod 16 which is more particularly to dolls and the like and fixed therein and bridges the space between 10 has for its object to provide a doll or other said side members 15, as shown in Fig. 4.

ligure constructed in a novel and simplified The legs 17 are pivotally mounted upon the manner to automatically simulate the morod 16 and are preferably provided on the tion of walking. A further object 01". the outside with hearing recesses 18 into which invention is to construct the legs of the the side members 1:) extend and which codoll and the means whereby a walking mooperate therewith to stabilize the construction is imparted thereto in the form of a tion against wabbling. On the inside each unit capable of being readily and efiicicntly leg 17 carries a lug 19 which projects upcombined with the body of the doll and dewardly therefrom and is pivotally connected tached therefrom as a whole whenever, for at 20, in any suitable manner, with the op- 20 any reason, this is desired. My invention posite and spaced runs a and Z) of an endless 7 further contemplates the provision of an belt 21; the latter may be of any suitable arm and body construction adapted for cotype so long as it is substantially inelastic operation with the walking means in a and, as shown, may be constructed of web manner to increase the efficiency of the bing or fabric, although it is to be under- 2 ligure in its particular class. Other objects stood that any other flexible material of rel of the invention will appear from the deatively low inherent elasticity may be emscription hereinafter and the features of ployed. The endless belt 21 or its equivalent novelty will be pointed out in the appended is movably mounted beneath the supporting sh claims. member 1-1 in such a manner that its runs In the accompanying drawings, which a and 7/ are reciprocable forwardly and rearillustrate an example of the invention withwardly with respect to the direction of out defining its limits, Figure 1 is an elevaravel of the figure. 1n the preferred contion of a doll embodying my improved con struction the belt 21 or its equivalent is struction and with parts broken away; Fig. mounted in such a manner or is itself so 2 13:1 longitudinal section thereof on the line constructed that the runs (1 and 7) are in of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-section on capable of any material movement toward the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4- is a detail each other and thus serve, in co-operation view of th unit consisting of the legs and with the lugs 19, to maintain the legs 17 in walking means of the figure; Fig. 5 is a secthe intended positions and properly sep- 40 tional view thereof on the line 5-5 of Fig. arated on the rod 16. The illustrated ex Al, and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the ample shows the. belt 21 mounted upon a line 66 of Fig. l. bearing means in the form of a rigid rib In the illustrated example which, for the which depends from the supporting member purposes of description, discloses the invenlet and extends transversely across the same tion applied to a doll, 10 represents the body, in. a forward and rcarwnnd direction; the which may be constructed of any suitable rib 22 has its opposite ends rounded to material in the customary hollow form and facilitate the operation of the belt 21 and at its upper end is provided in the well lies between the runs a and 7; thereof and known way with a recess 11 in which the forms a backing therefor whereby said runs 59 neck 12 is seated in a manner to render the are prevented from being pressed toward head 13 capable of being adjusted to difeach other.

terent positions. The means whereby the When the leg unit is opcratively combined neck and head are lined in connection with with the figure the supporting member 14 the body 10 will be referred to hereinafter. is located within the body 10 at a distance 55 The unit consisting of the legs and the from the lower end thereof and rests against abutments 23 formed at the proper points within said body, as shown in Fig. 1. A preferably elastic connection 24 extends be-- tween the supporting member 14: and the neck 12 and serves to hold the latter and its head 18in proper position upon the body 10 and at the same time maintains the supporting member 14: in position against the abutments 23; it will be understood that the parts are located and proportioned in such a manner that the connection 2 will be under tension. lhis connection, in addition to its other functions, permits the head and neck to be adjusted to different life-like positions on the body and because of the fact that it is under a tension lines the same in such positions. As an additional means for maintaining the leg unit in proper combination with the body, a filler piece 25 may be fitted between the legs 17 and secured in place by means of nails or other removable fastening devices 27; the filler piece 25 is recessed at 28 to receive the rod 16 and to bear against the same and thereby assist to fix the leg unit against unintentional displacement. The filler piece 25 furthermore is shaped to carry out the contour of the body and thus serves also to complete the appearance of the figure.

The illustrated example of the invention further includes arms 29 which are movably connected with the body 10 in a novel man nor to efficiently co-operate with the walking mechanism. [is shown, the body 10 is provided at the proper places with arm recesses or openings 30, the general circular form of which is interrupted by lugs 31 shaped to correspond to quadrants of said circular recesses; that is, the free edges 0 and (Z of said lugs 31 extend in radial directions approximately at right angles to each er. The arms 29, in turn, are provided with inwardly extending projections 32 10- rated in the recesses 30 and having bearing si races 0 curved approximately in conformity with and bearing upon the curved peri pheries thereof; in addition, the projections are formed with flat surfaces 7" extendis g diametrically to the axes of rotation of said arms, and adapted by engagement with the surfaces 0 and (Z of the lugs 31 to arrest the pivotal movements of the arms 2-9. A ronnection 33, preferably including a turnluckle or equivalent: 3e, extends between the projections 32 within the body 10 and serves to maintain the arms 29 in proper connection therewith; by adjusting the connection through the medium ofthe turn-buckle 9):.) iii or its equivalent, the arms 29 may at all limes be properly positioned in the recesses 80. 1

To cause the figure, in the present inuce a doll, to walk, one or the other of the 29 is grasped with the hand and moved position corresponding approximately to the position assumed by the arm of a child when being led by another person; in this condition of the parts the flat surface f of the arm in question will lie against'the surface a of the co-operating lug 31 and accordingly will fix said arm against any further movement in an upward direction relatively to the body 10. In other words, at this stage, said arm and body comprise a temporarily rigid unit capable of being manipulated through the medium of said arm 29.

After the parts have been positioned as described, the arm 29 is manipulated to support the body 10 upon one of the legs 17, after which said arm is moved in an up ward direction to cause the body 10 to swing toward the rear; the supporting member 14: and side members 15 partake of this rearward swinging movement of the body which, as a matter of fact, has the rod 16 and its bearing in that leg upon which the body is temporarily supported, as a centre or pivot. Because of the fact that during this operation the supporting leg remains stationary, a pull will be exerted by the lug 19 of said leg upon the run a of the belt 21. This pull will be in a direction to cause said run a to move in a forward direction and consequently will move the run Z) of said belt toward the rear; this rearward movement of said run 1) will be communicated to the lug 19 of the other leg 17 and, as a result, will pivotally swing said other leg on the rod 16 toward the front so as to bring its foot to a position in advance of the foot of the leg upon which the body is resting. The doll is now swung forwardly upon the supporting leg, the foot of which rocks upon the surface upon which the doll is positioned; this movement is continued until the second leg comes into contact with said surface in an upright position and thus becomes the supporting leg. The point at which this takes place is in advance of the point occupied by the first leg as a supporting member, so that the doll has walked one step; at this stage the first leg extends rearwardly in a position inclined downwardly from the rod 16. If the body is now again rocked by means of the arm 29 inthe manner previously described, the run 6 of the belt 21 will be pulled in a forward direction and accordingly will pull the run a rearwardly and consequently swing the first leg to a forwardly-inclincd position in advance of the second leg which, during this operation, is the supporting le By again swinging the doll forwardly upon this supporting leg in the manner previously described, the first leg is again brought into engagement with the surface upon which the doll is trrn eling at a point in advance of that at which the second leg came to rest, so that the doll has advanced another step.

Thisalternate' operation or the legsthrough the medium of the belt 21 causes the doll to walk in a lite-like and etticient manner and is accomplished without effort by means of one or'both arms 29; the described walking of the doll is facilitated because of the fact that the manipulating arm is rigidly connected with the body by the co-operative action of the surfaces (2 and f and thus tem porarily becomes fixed with respect to the body 10 in a position corresponding to the natural position of the arm of a child being led by the hand. J

During the walking operation the endless belt 21 is reciprocated upon the rigid rib 22 and positively actuates each leg alternately in a smooth, even manner free from jerkiness and so to accurately imitate the natural act of walking.

The leg unit, including the walking mechanism, may be readily detached from the body .10 when required, by simply removing the fastening devices 27 and tiller piece and disconnecting the connection from the neck 24, which may be readily accomplished by withdrawing the neck 12 from the recess 11 against the elasticity of the said connection until the point of attachment of the nected with one of said legs, and bearing means whereby said runs are maintained in spaced relation and upon which said continuous member is movable to reciprocate its runs forwardly and rearwardly with re spect tothe direction of travel of said figure whereby said legs are alternately actuated to advance said figure in walking steps.

2. A travelling figure comprising a body, legs pivotally connected therewith, bearing means carried by said body and an endless substantially non-elastic belt mounted upon said bearing means to provide spaced runs and having said runs connected with said legs and reciprocable 011 said bearing means in forward and rearward directions with respect to the direction of travel of said fig ure whereby said legs are alternately actuated to advance said figure in walking steps.

3. A travelling doll comprising a hollow body, a combined neck and head mounted thereon, abutments within said body, a supporting member within said body in engagement with said abut-ments, a connection between said neck and supporting member whereby both are. secured upon said body, legs pivotally mounted upon said supporting member, bearing means thereon and an endless, substantially non-elastic belt mounted on said bearing means to provide spaced runs and having said runs connected re spcctively with said legs and rcciprocablc in forward and rearward directions to alternately actuate said legs in a manner to advance said doll in walking steps.

1, ir travelling doll comprising a hollow body, a combined ncc: and head mounted thereon, abutments within said body, a sup porting member within said body in engz'igcment with said abutmcnts, a connection between said neck and supporting member whereby both are secured upon said body. legs pivotally mounted upon said bearing member, bearing means thereon, an endless, substantially non-elastic belt. mounted on said bearing means to provide spaced runs and having said runs connected respectively with said legs and arms connected with said body and adapted to actuate the latter upon one of said legs to cause a pull to be exerted upon said endless belt whereby the other leg is pivotally advanced in a walking movement.

A travelling doll comprising a body having arm openings, legs movably connect ed with said body, walking mechanism operatively connected with said legs, arms. projections on said arms extending inwardly into said arm openings and constituting bearings for the pivotal movements of said arms and lugs projecting from the peripheries of said arm openings toward the centre thereof into the path of said projections. whereby the pivotal movements of the arms in one direction are arrested to lix said arms in positions for manipulating said body to operate said walking mechanism and (i. A walking doll comprising a body ha v ing circular arm recesses, projections in said recesses having radially extending surfaces, arms, projections on said arms extending into said recesses and having bearing surfaces in engagement with the periplmral surfaces thereof for pivotally mounting the arms in opposite directions therein to move about axes transverse to the walking direction, said projections having flat surfaces extending diametrically to the axes of rotation' and arranged to abut against the radial surfaces of said projections to arrest the pivotal movements of said arms, legs movably connected with said body and walking mechanism adapted to impart a progressive walking movement to said legs.

7. In a walking doll, a unit comprising a supporting member adapted to it within the body of the doll in transverse relation to the direction of walking, legs pivotally mounted on said member and depending therefrom and an endless member movably mounted on said supporting member to provide spaced runs extending in directions parallel with the direction of walking and having said runs connected respectively with said legs for imparting a walking movement thereto.

8. In a walking doll, a unit comprising a supporting member adapted to fit within the body of the doll in transverse relation to the direction of walking, legs pivotally mounted on said member, a rigid rib depending from said supporting member and extending across the same in a direction parallel with the direction of walking and an endless belt movably mounted upon said rib to provide spaced runs and having said runs connected respectively with said legs for imparting a walking movement thereto.

9. A travelling doll comprising a hollow body having a recess, a combined neck and head mounted in said recess, abutments within said body, a supporting member within said body in engagement with said abutments, an elastic connection between said neck and supporting member whereby said neck and head are resiliently held in said recess and said member is held against said abutments, legs pivotally mounted upon said bearing member, bearing means thereon and an endless substantially nonelastic belt mounted on said bearing means to provide spaced runs and having said runs connected respectively with said legs and reciprocable in forward and rearward directions to alternately actuate said legs in a manner to advance said doll in walking steps.

-In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HAROLD D. BOl/VIE. 

